YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?
Film quotes pose as questions. Film stars try to cope.
IN THE CROSSHAIRS THIS MONTH RICHARD ARMITAGE
Are you talkin’ to me?
I am talking to you. If I’m perfectly honest, I’d rather be face to face, because I’m sick of Zoom. I went back to work on the show that I’m on at the moment, for Netflix. The first day on set, I could barely get any work done, because I was just talking and talking and talking. They kept offering me a chair, and I said, “No, I don’t need to sit down. I’ve been sat on my arse for a year!”
Do you feel lucky, punk?
I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ve dabbled with having my celestial chart looked at every couple of years, just for a little tune-up. Every time, the guy sighs, and goes, “What can I say? You’ve just got that little sprinkle of luck.” And I say, “That’s good, because I don’t have the talent, so I really need the luck!”
So what are you afraid of?
I’m very afraid of deep water. I’m afraid of drowning. Any job I’ve had where there’s been water involved, there’s usually been some kind of incident. It’s a prophecy waiting to be told. And I’m afraid of failure. I often think, “Why did I pick a profession where failure is at your door every second of the day?” I’m quite tough on myself, so I fail more than I win.
Do you have a mixtape coming out?
No, I haven’t recorded an album. But I do make a little mixtape for every character I play. It’s the best part of the job, really. You sit there for a couple of days, just going through endless albums on Spotify. For [Francis Dolarhyde on] Hannibal, I used some really freaky music, which helped.
What’s normal, anyways?
Literally nothing any more. Everything – every single thing – is abnormal. Gosh, I crave normality, but I don’t know what that is now. What is normal...? A cheese sandwich.
Is life always this hard, or is it just when you’re a kid?
Life is easy when you’re a kid. That’s one of the things about being an actor – you get to relinquish that responsibility, and still pretend you’re a kid, because you live in that imaginative world all the time. I quite like it. I find it hard to grow up.
We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you?
Yeah. I think I’m a little mad. I’ve often played characters that are dabbling with trauma or post-traumatic stress or a little bit of insanity. I can start hallucinating, and seeing people in very strange ways, especially when I haven’t eaten. And I just think, “Oh, gosh, that’s a bit strange, isn’t it? I better get that cheese sandwich.”
You talk the talk, do you walk the walk?
It’s taken me years to find what I define as authenticity, because I think that’s what that question is about. I think I’m authentic. I do the work, not because anyone’s looking over my shoulder. I do it for me. And I do it because I love it. So I think that’s walking the walk.
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Every night! There is a naughty, dark side to me. I am quite strongly affected by the moon. So if there’s a full moon I’ll go a little bit crazy.
You ever have that feeling where you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming?
All the time. That’s one of the things
I tap into a lot, because I’m quite active through my sleep. I can wake up fully dressed, on the other side of the room. I will be convinced I’ve met somebody, or been somewhere, that has actually been a dream. It’s very useful for writing and for dreaming up ideas for a character.
Do you like what you do for a living, these things you see?
Often I question, “Why on earth did I pick this career?” Because I’m so not the kind of person that should be an actor. I’m a recluse. I’m an introvert. I don’t like being looked at. [laughs] But I get to see the world through other people’s eyes, and that’s where the fascination lies.
Will you follow me, one last time?
Yeah, what’s your Twitter handle? [laughs] I was having a chat with Jimmy Nesbitt about this. I feel like there was a ‘me’ before [the Hobbit trilogy], and a ‘me’ after, in terms of my career, and life experience. We were not prepared for it. I thought I was going to be fired. And it turned out to be the most incredible adventure. I’ll go to my grave with the most intense memories of New Zealand.
ETA | 12 JUNE / UNCLE VANYA IS OUT NOW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY.
‘I’M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON THAT SHOULD BE AN ACTOR. I’M A RECLUSE. I’M AN INTROVERT’